Sacrifice
by LettieM
Summary: Sarek and Spock take a practice trip through Vulcan's Forge before Spock's kahs-wan


Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or profit from it in any way.

They had been walking most of the night. Spock lagged farther and farther behind his father's long-legged stride, and I-Chaya, his tongue lolling out, shambled along behind Spock. The first pink and purple streaks of dawn were just brightening the horizon when Sarek found the cave in which he had rested during the sixth day of his own kahs-wan.

"Here is our resting place for today, my son. Observe the location of this cave. Mark in your mind the location of the L-langon Mountains directly to the south of this cave. That is the route you must follow after you have rested here."

Spock, gazing attentively up at his father's face, nodded. "Yes, Father."

After Sarek had inspected the interior of the cave to be certain no dangerous predator had been making the cave its home, he and Spock entered and set down their carry packs. I-Chaya followed them, flopping to his side on the cool, dusty cave floor. Spock fished in his pack for his water bottle and I-Chaya's portable water bowl and offered his pet a drink of cool water.

While father and son shared their morning meal of dried fruit, journey wafers, and water, I-Chaya munched contentedly on his nutrition nuggets, which Amanda jokingly called "sehlat kibble." After they had finished eating, Sarek and Spock rolled out their sleeping bags and sat talking quietly for a few minutes before settling down to sleep through the hot daytime hours. The aging sehlat, tired after the long night of desert hiking, was already sound asleep, his rumbling snores echoing off the walls of the cave.

Sometime in the late afternoon Spock awoke with a start, his senses preternaturally alert. He could hear the snuffling sound of a large animal, most likely a le-matya, investigating the traces of their scent on the ground outside the cave. Although he felt an urgent need to relieve himself, he dared not leave the cave with the wild predator outside. Finally, the animal, apparently satisfied there was no easy prey to be had in the vicinity of the cave, padded away.

When he could no longer hear the sounds of the animal's paws disturbing the rust-colored sand of the Forge, Spock glanced over to his left and saw that his father and I-Chaya were both still sleeping peacefully. Wriggling out of his sleeping bag as quietly as he could, he crawled to the side of the cave entrance. After waiting a few moments, he peered cautiously out to see if the area around the cave was clear. Nevasa, Vulcan's sun, was low in the western sky, casting deep shadows across the boulder fields and cliffs surrounding the cave. There was no sign of the predator.

After putting on his socks and desert boots, Spock ventured out of the cave to find a place to relieve himself. He had just finished emptying his bladder and rearranging his clothing when he heard a low growl behind him. The animal, a le-matya, had apparently found his scent and followed him to the rock hollow where he now stood.

Moving very slowly, the boy turned to face the animal as he drew his desert survival knife from his belt. The le-matya was thin, its ribs protruding from its sides. Its grizzled face and yellowed fangs indicated it was old and probably ill. And very hungry. The creature growled, certain it had found easy prey, and began slinking forward toward the frightened boy.

Knowing that running from the animal would only excite its natural chase instinct, Spock backed slowly away as the le-matya advanced. When his back was against the craggy cliff behind him, he began climbing the cliff face, hoping to ascend out of the animal's reach. The le-matya attempted to jump up the cliff face after its intended prey, but was too weak to reach him. Pacing back and forth at the base of the cliff, the creature bellowed in frustration as it stared up at the frightened boy. When he thought he was high enough off the ground to be out of immediate danger, Spock called out, "Father, help!"

Sarek was out of his sleeping bag and running toward the sound of Spock's voice, his own knife in hand, when a huge furry shape hurtled past him roaring a challenge to the le-matya - I-Chaya, protecting his best friend.

The le-matya whirled to face its challenger and roared its response to the challenge, its ears laid back, its tail whipping violently from side to side. I-Chaya threw his massive body at the animal, knocking it off its feet. Before the creature could right itself, the sehlat grabbed it by the neck with all the force of his powerful jaws. The le-matya struggled to free itself, snarling as it slashed one of I-Chaya's forelegs with its poisonous claws. The enraged sehlat ignored the strike, and shook the predator from side to side, his fangs sinking deeper and deeper into the animal's neck. Now in its death throes, the le-matya struck out one last time, slashing its attacker's neck. I-Chaya threw the creature against the nearest boulder, where it shuddered and died. He roared in victory before collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.

Sarek called to his son, "Can you climb down, Spock? The le-matya is dead."

"Yes, Father," Spock responded as he began his cautious descent down the cliff face. When he reached the ground, he found his father kneeling beside I-Chaya with both hands pressed firmly against his pet's neck to stanch the flow of blood. The sehlat's eyes were closed and his breathing was rapid and shallow. The shaggy brown fur of his neck and the sand below him were stained green with his blood.

"I-Chaya is gravely injured, my son," Sarek said without moving his eyes from his old friend. "Return to the cave and open my carry pack. Inside you will find my communicator and an emergency medical kit. Return here with them immediately."

"Yes, Father," Spock replied before he raced back to the cave. With trembling hands, he grabbed the requested items from the pack and ran back to where his father knelt beside the injured sehlat.

"Open the medical kit and hand me the inflatable pressure bandage. While I apply the bandage to I-Chaya's neck, contact the Desert Patrol and explain our situation." When Spock had handed the pressure bandage to his father, Sarek gently looped it around his pet's neck and inflated it. While he accomplished this task, Spock contacted the Desert Patrol and requested assistance.

"They say they will airlift us out in 8.546 minutes," Spock informed his father. Sarek's grim expression frightened him. "He will be all right, won't he, Father?"

Sarek turned to face his anguished son. Resting one hand on Spock's shoulder, he lifted the boy's chin with the fingers of his other hand until they were eye to eye. "Spock, I do not believe the patrol will get here in time to save him. His carotid artery was partially severed, and the poison from the le-matya's claw is even now moving through his system. I believe we have slowed the bleeding, but the poison will certainly kill him."

Spock shook his head desperately, his eyelashes now wet with tears. "No, Father, there must be something we can do. We can't just let him die."

"My son," Sarek said, his own voice roughened with grief, "there is only one thing we can do for I-Chaya now. We must let him go. If we ask him, he will do his best to cling to life for our sake. But it will only prolong his pain and suffering. Is that what we want for our friend?"

"No, Father," Spock replied in a small voice, "you are right. We must let him go."

"Then say your good-byes to him quickly. I do not believe he will last much longer."

Spock lay down on the sand beside his best friend. "Thank you, I-Chaya. You saved my life. I will never forget you." The old sehlat opened his eyes and gazed deeply into the eyes of his young friend. The boy placed his mouth next to his pet's ear as he gently stroked his head. "I love you, I-Chaya," he whispered so softly not even his father could hear his words. The sehlat lifted his head enough to lick Spock's tear-streaked cheek with his rough tongue.

When his son rose and moved away, Sarek knelt beside the dying sehlat. Laying his hand gently on the grizzled fur of the sehlat's head, he whispered, "I thank thee, old friend, for the gift of my son's life. Thy sacrifice will not be forgotten."

I-Chaya rolled his eyes up to gaze into his master's eyes. Sarek stroked the sehlat's grizzled head. "You have done well, I-Chaya. You may rest now." The sehlat closed his eyes and rested his head on his master's knee. After a few more shallow breaths, his valiant soul left his battered body.

Gently placing his pet's head on the ground, Sarek glanced over at his son, who sat huddled against the nearest boulder, hands covering his eyes, shoulders shaking.

Rising unsteadily to his feet, he walked over to his son and sat beside him. Lifting Spock onto his lap, Sarek gently pressed the boy's head against his shoulder. "Allow the tears to come, my son. The cause is more than sufficient."

Given that permission by his father, Spock gripped his father's tunic and sobbed unashamedly as Sarek rubbed his son's thin back with his large warm hand. If a tear or two fell upon the top of Spock's head as he wept, no witnesses were present to take note of it.

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_A/N Special thanks to Mary Stacy for the beta. It was much appreciated. _

_Thanks for reading this story. Any reviews or constructive criticism would be much appreciated._


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